Linked
by XantaClaus
Summary: A girl dies in a carcrash and gets transported to an amestrian body, whose name is Edward Elric. How can Ed handle it, when he already has enough things to be taken care of? What if this girl isn't useless, but has some helpful information? Mangaverse.
1. The Fusion

Hi again. I know that I have too many fics to write already, but I just HAD TO write this. This is really old idea of mine. (The end of chapter 76 inspired me.) Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa, BONES, ANIPLEX ect. do.

**L****inked**

It hurt. It felt like my guts were torn apart and now they were trying to heal in a wrong order. My head was throbbing like someone was hitting my skull from the inside with a hammer. I didn't feel quite right, either. I didn't only mean the pain, something was wrong with my body, it just didn't feel normal. It's hard to explain, but like I didn't know my body. It didn't match with the image I had in my mind. I forced my eyes open and I looked around, not daring to try and move my hurting head.

"Hnn?" I didn't recognize my surroundings! Also my voice sounded weird, but maybe it was just because my throat was so dry and sore. I was lying on a bed and beside me was a table with some bottles, which looked like medicines. 'A hospital? It can't be, shouldn't the walls be white and everything in order and tidy?' Surely, there were boxes, books and old coffee cups lying around. Just where was I? What if I'm in some rapist's home and that is why I'm in pain? 'I need to get out of here!', I thought and tried to push myself slowly up with my right hand, but I didn't feel the fabric around my arm nor the pressure against my palm when I leaned to it, but still, I rose up. It was close I didn't fall back again from surprise. My stomach hurt like hell, but I could only stare at my right hand.

"What… the… hell?" I croaked. My arm, it was covered in metal! When I leaned closer to examine it, something blond fell to both sides of my face. '… Hair? Since when was my hair blond?' I took a strand of hair between my thumb and index finger, and stared at it. God, my hair looked like it hadn't been taken care of for hundreds of years. How dared that rapist bleach my hair? Pissed off, I stared at my right arm and tried to take off the metal, but it didn't budge. 'Wait a minute… Doesn't this thing seem familiar?' I stared at it and pictured an image of Edward Elric's newest northern-use automail in my head. It was a perfect copy! I lifted up my right arm and stared at the _wires_ at my armpit. Carefully I slid my index finger past the wires, looking for skin, but I found nothing. My eyes widened. This thing was real. I had an automail arm attached to me! Was this rapist also a mad scientist? 'And a huge fan of Fullmetal alchemist, as well', I added in my mind. Did he try to make me look like the main character, Edward Elric? But I was a frigging female!

Next, my left arm got my attention. When was my hand so angular, muscular and what on earth had happened to my nails?! They were cracked and filthy. Something rose up my throat and I coughed to my hand. I tasted iron in my mouth and I stared at my hand. Blood? Slowly I laid my head back to the pillow, not wanting to wear out my body more. I wiped my hand to the sheets. 'Okay, what do I remember?' I scanned trough my head, but found nothing what would give a hint why was I here. The last thing I remember was a car coming towards me and then pitch black. 'So that's why… This mad rapist-scientist-FMA-fan probably picked me up and brought me here. Oh joy'. I closed my eyes and tried to stay calm. 'I wonder if mum and dad are worried. How long have I been here, anyways? What if they think I'm dead?' Sadness clutched my chest for a moment, but I wasn't able to shed even a tear. In the end, I didn't have anything that I was really attached to; my parents were just parents (why am I speaking in past tense?) who paid my hobbies, clothes and food. I brought them good grades and they left me alone. They really loved me, but I just couldn't truly think them as nothing more than part of this realm of life. They will eventually die, so why attach myself to them and in the end mourn after them? Most of my friends were just pawns I was using to keep me occupied. If I didn't like them or grew bored of them, I made their lives living hell if possible. That's frigging fun, you know. The only thing I really cared for was my computer, me and my favorite horse, Trick. Something I could live without, except myself.

Actually, there was something else I loved more than anything, but I haven't told about it to anybody. I was a day dreamer, a person who lived in fantasies, making an alternative reality where she or he lived, free from the pains of real life. In the end they either stopped, somebody took them to a shrink or they couldn't tell the difference between real and unreal. I was probably going towards the latter.

But, in my every dream, there were similarities, the most outstanding one was the person who appeared in each one of them; Edward Elric. God I loved him.

I really hope everything is just a dream. It would be too mean to be true; to become someone's guinea big and slowly being turned to the only guy you love.

… If I was turned to Edward Elric, should I have also an automail leg? I touched my left leg with my right and felt cold metal. I was right. But how? I thought automail didn't exist. Didn't it develop from alchemy? Alchemy isn't possible…

Sighing I laid my left hand on top of my face and trembled. My face wasn't familiar either. The nose was different, along with the chin… Wait a minute, it felt rough… A bristle? FOR GOD'S SAKE. This was too much. What next? I'll probably find out that I have a dick..! I opened my eyes in shock and my left hand touched my chest. My breasts were gone. And if they would have still been there, I really would have felt them. But my chest was flat. I never had the time to find out myself if I had a dick or not, because my body groaned loudly and I knew that it wasn't me. My presence was being pushed back and I lost control. I was looking around from far away and I wasn't the one moving my eyes. A male's voice rang inside my head, but I knew that there wasn't anybody around and my body hadn't opened its mouth. If this was my body. 'Where the fuck am I? What happened?' Slowly, everything started to work out inside my head and the pieces of puzzle fell to their places.

'That can't be…'

'What? What was that? Am I finally losing it?'

I gasped, or tried, the command never reached the body's nerves, he was the one in control. 'You can read my thoughts?'

'You can read mine? Who are you? Where are you?' He was on alert and surprised.

'You aren't Edward Elric, are you?' I asked carefully.

'I asked you first! But yeah, I am.' He was growing irritated and suspicious.

'Oh god… Well, I'm Karen, nice to meet you, and it seems that my soul and mind have found their way to your body. Got no idea how.'

"WHAT?" he roared and I almost squealed. I didn't even see his face, but his voice was so fierce that I wanted to hide, which was impossible...

'Please, if you don't want to draw attention, don't shout aloud…'

He got the hint. 'Karen, like a girl? You've got to be kidding me! How? Why did you leave your own body in the first place? Did you die?' I saw flashes of his thoughts and tried to ignore them, he probably wouldn't appreciate if I saw something what I shouldn't.

'I do remember a car coming towards me with a high speed, so I could assume that I it hit me…'

'So… I got a girl's mind and soul attached to my body after I passed out?'

'Passed out? Wait a minute… That's a northern automail, right? Which means you has been to Briggs, but if you have been passed out, would that mean the time after you closed the wound in your stomach?'

'How do you know about that? There was no-one around except me and those two guys..!' He was shocked, and I understood really well why. But now it all made sense in some weird way. Ed had used his own soul and life source as the power to heal himself, and at the same time I had died, my own life energy surging through the Gate and to the little gap Ed had made by using his soul. I filled that gap, so technically he was "whole" again. Though not mentally... I felt sorry for him. I didn't want this either. How could I when even in my wildest dreams I never thought this could be possible. He deserved at least some kind of explanation. I doubted it would help, but still, I could try.

'You know, I could probably show you. I was able to see some of your thoughts just now, so I'm probably able to show you mine.' He didn't respond but in some kind of weird way I knew that he was waiting for something to come. So, I focused on to the thoughts I wanted him to see. I pictured my bookshelf and zoomed to my collection of Fullmetal alchemist mangas. The picture wasn't even a little bit blurry, that section of my room I knew really well.

'See that?'

'Yeah… Is that some kind of joke, having my title in those books?'

'Just wait.'

Now I focused to the first manga in the line and tried to remember the pictures. In my mind flashed a picture of young Ed without his left leg (from the first page) and he gasped at the sight. Then a picture of the church of Leto, Rose and Cornello. After that, my favorite. The picture when Ed rips his jacket and shirt, revealing the automail.

'Remember these things?'

'… I do, but why are they drawn to a book?'

'I live in another dimension, where your story is known all over the world and is one of the most famous mangas and animes there are. Anime and manga are different, and what I showed you was the manga. The drawer is Hiromu Arakawa. God, I didn't believe that Amestris really existed, but here I am, inside the head of the main character. Know what? You are also one of the most popular anime and manga characters there is. Happy?'

'Another dimension? Anime? Manga? The most popular what? You're scaring the shit out of me, you know.'

'Please Ed, you've got to believe me.'

'When did we become friends so you can call me by my nickname?'

'Sorry, but really, I'm not lying!' I pictured a flying fighter plane in my mind and showed it to him.

'What is that?'

'A fighter plane, our technology is far more advanced than yours. Our fastest plane can fly faster than sound and our bombs can wipe of a whole city of the size of Central. Want to believe me now?' I was desperate. I didn't want him to believe that I was out of my mind.

'And what if you only imagined that?'

'Just what do I need to show you that you will believe me?'

'I won't believe you anyway, I think.'

'… Would you believe if I'd give you a full access to my mind and memories?' I didn't find the though really appealing, but if that was the only way, I would do it. He didn't answer right away and I tried my best to keep away from his thoughts. I didn't want to be intrusive.

'… Would you really? I myself wouldn't enjoy letting somebody read my mind like a book.'

'If it is the only way to make you believe, then go ahead. But I'd still like to keep my most personal things to myself, okay? I'm going to direct you to somewhere else you go near them.'

'And I thought it was going to be "a full access"? What if you're just hiding the fact that you're from Amestris?' Fuck he was stubborn.

'… Okay. Hope you won't go senile.' Not waiting for a reply I shoved my mind towards his and let him in. He didn't back off, maybe he didn't know how or he was just curious, but he didn't know how to "use" my mind so I helped, directing him to safe areas like my hobbies and such. Soon he find out how my mind "worked" and did whatever he liked while I just followed him, feeling uncomfortable. He checked out my family, friends, hometown, and such. When he found his way to my memories of my room, he spent some time there, probably staring at the posters of him.

'Told you that you are popular.' I remarked and he snorted.

'You like math?' he asked and I smirked mentally. 'Hell yeah! But sorry, chemistry isn't my thing…' I said and he went to examine chemistry. He dug out every memory I had on chemistry and was still unsatisfied.

'I'm sorry; I didn't like the teacher so I didn't feel like putting some effort to my studies.'

'You should have, from what I found out, it was interesting.'

'Alchemy geek.' I said, annoyed. Ed sounded like my father when he said that.

'… How do you know that? Only Winry…' And that is how he realized to look at the things I knew about Winry. I don't know how he found out about fanfiction and EdxWin lemon, but… You can guess.

'WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIIIS!?'

'… EdxWin is one of the most popular pairings of Fullmetal alchemist…" I tried to explain and I didn't mention EdxRoy on purpose. He was too furious to notice that.

'You sick pervert, you're only 14-years old! And something like that!-' 'Ed! Remember that you're thought of nothing but an anime and manga character! And it seems that in our world most of us mature faster than in here! But it's not like we think sex all the time! Come on, you're also a teenager; your beard is already growing and such. I dare you to say that you have never thought of "something like that"!' I was pissed off because of his attitude and just defending myself, I didn't mean to say that, but he did go silent for awhile.

… The silence continued… and continued… and continued… 'Had enough?' I asked carefully and he backed away from my thoughts.

'You know, Ed…' No respond. '… I'm really sorry.'

'For what?'

''Well, all of this. I didn't mean to get stuck in your mind.' He didn't say anything, so I continued.

'Many of my friends would be so jealous if they'd know where I'm now, but I don't find it fun anymore. You have many things to take care of right now and I'm only a hindrance. I don't even have a body anymore and I don't want to take control of yours, I probably even can't, you're so strong. A talking voice isn't so fun having around, is it? I bet you know a way to get rid of me, right? I won't be angry at you if you do. I should be dead right now, anyways.' I felt guilty for being in his body and afraid that he really might "get rid of" me. I didn't want to die, but I didn't want him to die, either.

'Your body is going to reject my soul, right? You should get rid of me before my soul causes damage to you.'

'Don't you get what you're talking about?! You should be dead, yeah, but you're not and now you're throwing the chance away?! Yeah, I know how to "get rid of" you, but I'm not a killer! Yeah, my body might start rejecting you, but not immediately, I might have even four or five years before anything can be seen! So, NO, I'm not "getting rid of" you!'

Again I felt like hiding somewhere, but I couldn't. I don't know where I got the courage to talk, but I still continued: 'And what will you do when your body will start rejecting my soul?'

He growled. 'I'll figure something out, like making a body for you.' Hope filled me so strongly that he probably felt it too.

'Really?'

'Really, really! Now, could you stop telling me to get rid of you?'

'I will. … Thank you, Ed. Thank you very much', I said and I would have cried, if I could.

'… So, have you figured out what this place is? Or where?' He asked, scanning the area.

'I don't know, but those two guys said that they would take you to a doctor… and it seems that they did.' He sighed and cursed in his mind which meant that I was able to hear it too.

'You're such an idiot, there is no way you could have fight Kimbley in that state.' He growled, but didn't say anything. "Which reminds me… How could you be so stupid and use your own life-energy to heal the wound?!'

'What?! There was nothing else I could do! And it's not like my lifespan shortened drastically or anything.'

'You sound unsure.'

'Shut up… anyways, I'm probably fine now, so I should get going…' I felt when he tensed his muscles.

'Are you crazy? I only sat up with that body of yours and started coughing up blood!'

'What?!'

'Look at your left, to the sheets.' His eyes focused on the dried blood. 'Shit.' I noticed his urge to curse in his head, but I didn't mention it. He found out anyway.

'Got a problem with it?'

'No, just making mental notes.'

The curtain between rooms was pulled aside and the ex-goons of Kimbley stepped inside. They had chanced back to their human-forms.

"So you're awake, Fullmetal?", the lion-guy asked.

"Sorry, but we had to take you to a doctor, or you wouldn't have made it", Darius said and looked at his partner before he continued, "but we found something interesting while carrying you here." I already knew what it was, but I tried not to think of it so Ed wouldn't get to know it from me. Gorilla-guy pulled a little crimson stone from his pocket and laid it to the table.

"Is that… Kimbley's stone?" Ed asked and stared at it.

"Yeah", the lion-guy nodded.

'You know, Ed… You could heal yourself with that and go after Kimbley in no-time. You'll also probably win if you used that', I said carefully.

'I know. I know…'

'Hold on, what do you know about the Philosopher's stone?' With that he went to my mind again and I gasped mentally, trying to shove him away. 'Don't, it will spoil-' 'Spoil?' he grew even more eager to reach my knowledge and I didn't have enough willpower to push him back. Soon he had found out about Father and Hohenheim. And even that wasn't enough for him; he searched my mind for things about Hohenheim.

'HE is a Philosopher's stone? He healed teacher?' Now, when he stopped, I shoved him off from my mind before he would find out of Envy's defeat.

'That's rude, you know.' I said angrily, but he didn't listen.

Ed grabbed the Philosopher's stone and stared at it before closing his fist around it. I had never felt a alchemical reaction so I was bewildered, but I said nothing, just enjoyed the feeling. It left my senses tingling.

'Whoa.'

'Whoa for you, be glad that I didn't do anything wrong because of your interruption.'

'Interruption? I'm sorry.'

'It's okay.'

"Alright, all ready to go, where's rest of my clothes?" Ed said, jumping off the bed. The two ex-goons stared and Darius just pointed out the chair where his bloodstained jacket, shirt, tank top, pants and boots were. This meant he was wearing only his boxers. Oh what a sight that would be.

'And what are you thinking?' Ed asked, irritated. I blushed mentally.

'Just something every fangirl would.' He snorted and started walking towards his clothes, wondering what he should do to them. Probably just alchemize them clean. He wrapped off the fabric covering his stomach and stared at the spot where should have been a scar or just some kind of mark that he had been stabbed there.

'You know, Ed, I have a request.'

'And what is it?' He had some really stupid expectations in his head, I can say that.

'I'd like to see your eyes. Please, I've never seen golden eyes.' I pleaded.

'I don't have time to let you stare at the mirror all day. And I'm not some weird animal at a Zoo you can look at. Maybe some other time.'

'Aaw, I'm sure they're so pretty and all… I'm so jealous; I'd love to have golden eyes myself.' I whined.

'What's with you in all of sudden? They're not so special. And actually, as long you are in this body, you do have yellow eyes.' He didn't want to say they were golden, but preferred saying yellow. I didn't understand why, but I just shrugged it off.

'If they're my eyes as well, then I have all the rights to see them!'

'I said "maybe some other time"!' I started pouting like a child but he ignored me. He cleaned the clothes and fixed the torn fabric. He pulled on his pants and I wondered how they were so smooth, even though they were also tight.

'You've got pretty neat clothes, you know.' I said when he was pulling on his red jacket.

'… Oh, thanks.' He hadn't probably ever had heard any compliments regarding his clothes, because he seemed surprised.

When he reached his hair to braid it again, I had to intervene again. 'Why do you braid it?'

'So it won't get in the way. Why do you ask?'

'Braids are for girls, or at least in our world. It's thought of as gay if a man braids his hair. What about you just put it to a ponytail?' I said plainly.

'… For real?' He was stunned. Well, he had braided his hair for five years at his own will without knowing this. I didn't answer, because I didn't need to. Edward Elric would not braid his hair anymore.

'Where are you going to keep the stone? In your stomach like Kimbley? If you put it in your pocket, it might fall off. Or if you want to fusion it with your body like Father and Hohenheim…' Ed had started walking towards the door, but stopped in his tracks when I started talking again.

'I don't know how Kimbley can keep the stone in his stomach like that, but I'm sure that I can't do it. I won't put it in my pocket either, _but fusion it with my body?_ That's insane!'

'You would be immortal and clapping your hands wouldn't be necessary anymore. But, if you're immortal, you would keep living till the stone's power dies out.' Again, I didn't mention that he wouldn't grow taller. Nor did I even think of it for long, because he is able to read my thoughts, after all. Shame on me, I was already trying to pull the strings like I did with my friends.

'But if you still think that you can survive without killing, that immortality wouldn't be that bad. You had a good prove of it back at that building that Kimbley blew up.' I tried to be careful or he would get annoyed, and that is not what I wanted.

'… Would you do the fusion if you were in the same situation?' I wanted to cheer. He was asking me! But now I needed to answer at the right way.

'Well, aren't you trusting me fast. But I would, if I knew how and I also want be sure that there is a way to get rid of the stone within me. Well, we do know one. Beat the crap out of myself until the stone's power dies out. So, I would, especially if I'm fighting against something almost immortal like homunculus and Father. Does my opinion help you?'

'It does… Maybe I should give it a shot. But you will be in danger, because you aren't an original part of me.'

'The rate of succeeding?' I asked a little worried. I didn't want to die when everything was getting interesting.

'Fifty-fifty.' He said. He opened his fist and stared at the stone.

'… Do it, if you want. I'm trusting you.'

"Fullmetal? You have been quiet for a pretty long time. Is something wrong?" The lion-guy asked, and Ed shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Just thinking what I should do. Sorry, could you leave me alone for a sec?"

The two exchanged glances but went outside, leaving Ed standing alone in the room. Or not so alone, but with me. That sounded evil, didn't it? Haha. … I'm getting lame.

'So, you want me to do it?' He asked, unsure what he should do.

'I'm not saying that I want you to do it more than anything else, but I recommend it.' Remember to be careful…

'I wonder what Al will think.' He directed this thought to himself, but I still answered.

'Oh yeah, there's no way that you're not going to tell him, right? Well… He'll probably understand. I think. I don't know him that well. But then he wouldn't need to worry about your health because you can't die. He loves you, right? There's no way he's going to abandon you even if he might not like the idea of his brother being the stone.'

He went silent and I knew that he was wondering, if he really needs to tell him after all.

'Yeah. You're right. And it's not like I'll turn into a homunculus. Let's do this.'

'I'll try not to interrupt.'

'You're interrupting already.'

'Sorry.'

And then several complex equations went through my head when he clapped his hands…

The Doors of Truth was in front of us, but to my relief I was still inside of Edward. The thingy with Ed's arm and leg was greeting us with its stupid grin.

'Coming to get your leg and arm back, aren't you? No? I never thought that you would want to fusion human lives with you. But, do as you wsh…' I watched trough Ed's eyes when his body was decomposed and everything turned so bright that he had to shut his eyes. The next thing I remember that we were on the floor and Ed writhed in pain, panting.

'Well, that was something…' I thought.

'Shut up, I feel like shit…' He groaned and pushed himself up. Rapidly approaching footsteps were heard and Ed dusted off his clothes.

'Want to try out if you're immortal now? Bite your finger or something.'

'Pff.' Ed did bite his finger and we both stared in amusement when it healed itself.

'Congratulations, you have successfully become a living Philosopher's stone.'

"Fullmetal, is everything all right?" The chimeras barged in and looked around.

"Been better", he groaned and walked forward, trying to find something new from his body. There was none. Except the pleading voices "Help me" "Kill me" "I want my child back" and such. He hadn't noticed them. Maybe it's better that way.

'So, what are you going to do now? You can't follow Kimbley; he disappeared after he betrayed Amestris, led Drachmas to the border and watched as they died. He did your work.'

'WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me?' He was angry.

'You didn't ask. But I do know where Al and the crew are. In Lior.'

'Lior? They have probably left when we reach it…'

'I doubt that. Your father is there and Al probably wants to discuss alchemy with him.'

'That bastard's there?!' Why did he have to shout?!

'Yup. So, shall we get going?'

'I guess you're right. To think I'm actually believing and doing things by just trusting a voice in my head.'

'Want me to shut up?' I mentally cocked up an eyebrow, smiling a little.

'Yes and no.' He said and walked to the door, between the two chimeras.

"I'm going to Lior, will you come along?"

"It's not like we have any other places to go, so I think we'll stick with you for the time-being." They said, but Darius laid his huge arm on Ed's shoulder, "but I don't think we should depart yet. What about we paid first?" Ed looked up at the huge man and gave him a blank 'I-could-care-less' face.

"Yeah, Darius is right, and if you go walking in public looking like that, just guess how many won't recognize you?" The lion-guy added and Ed made 'hmph' sound.

'They've got a point there, you know', I said carefully and he growled out loud. "We'll leave once we've paid and got something else to wear", he said and kicked the boots off from his legs to the far corner of the room.

"How we're gonna pay?" The lion-guy asked and I knew Ed was thinking hard. "We'll use my research account", he answered and Darius shook his head.

"They'll recognize you right away when you land your foot in the bank."

"Who said I'm going? I'll give you my pocket watch and the other necessary stuff", Ed said and turned his attention to the lion-guy, "you go and check if you can find something for us to wear. Different jackets with hoods should be enough. Shabbier, the better."

"Roger that." Darius almost saluted before went outside with the lion-guy, I saw his hand rise a little, but it never made contact with his forehead. 'You're bossing them like you're their superior officer", I laughed and I knew that he would have glared me if he could. 'Well, I am. Just where are you from, not knowing these things…'

'Finland.'

'What?'

'Geez. You just asked where I'm from, and that's my answer; Finland.' I said and mentally rolled my eyes.

'Well, sorry for being dump', he said and fell flat on his back to the bed. 'So… What kind of place is this Finland?', he asked, probably just to kill time. I tried to shove some pictures to him, but he pushed them back and said: 'No more pictures, please. I'm sick of those.'

'Uh, okay. Well… Finland's got hundreds of lakes and lots of forests, and only a couple of million inhabitants. We love nature and every Finnish's dream is to live near water and have an own sauna. In our world, sauna is a Finnish invention. There are four seasons in Finland, warm summer, over 20°C, colorful fall, cold, snowy winters, the temperature goes always at least once under -20°C, and we love to ski, skate, swim in a hole in the ice and so much more… The springs are cold and wet but sunny. In summer our days are "endless", it never gets dark enough to be night. But in winter, our shortest days last only for a couple of hours. But even if we love nature, it doesn't mean we're in the same level with animals. We have hi-tech business going on, for example Nokia, and also Linux was made by a Finn, can't remember his name though… And Keke Rosberg, Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen have all won the F1!' I squeeled at the end and I would have punched the air if I could.

'Swim in a hole in the ice? F1? Hundreds of lakes? Your country sounds… interesting.' Ed sounded bewildered and I smirked.

'Yeah. I don't like swimming in an "avanto", as we call it, but my dad does it. It goes like this: You go to the water, come off, go to the sauna, and again and again… 'Till you've had enough. F1 is a car-racing contest, and the cars can go over 300 kph, some even 400 kph', I explained proudly.

'… oh. By the way, what did you say? 20 what? Fahrenheit? That's pretty cold", Ed asked and I gulped. 'You don't use Celsius temperature scale?'

'Does it actually exist?'

'Yeah… Never mind. Can I have a pen and paper so I can change it to Fahrenheit? I'd also need control of your body for a while. So, please?' I asked, trying to be well-mannered. Actually, in Finnish, we don't have an equivalent for "please" and just saying 'Would you pass the salt' is polite enough.

Ed searched the drawers and tables for paper and a pen, while I was trying to remember the formula.

'Okay, I've got them', Ed said and I looked at the paper. I felt Ed pulling back and I got control, but because just a while ago I didn't need to do anything, I almost fell to the ground.

"Whoa", I said out loud with his voice and grabbed the table for support.

'Clumsy as ever', he said and I cursed. 'Well, it's fucking weird to feel nothing with your leg and arm!' I snapped and took hold of the pen with my left hand.

'You're left-handed?'

'Yeah, and I probably couldn't use your automail well enough to write anything', I said while trying to write the formula down. But it was hard! I was trying to write like I did with my body, but Ed's clumsy hands just couldn't do it. 'Fuck!' I swore and finally got it right.

°F (°C) · 1,8 + 32

'I think it went like this… So, the Celsius was 20…'

°F 20 · 1,8 + 32

'Okay, 20 · 1,8, uhh… What's that again…' I almost started calculating it to the paper's corner, when Ed answered:'36.'

'What?'

'It's 36.'

'Oh…' He was good.

°F 36 + 32

°F 68

'You write like you're in school', Ed said and I knew he was smirking.

'Well, sorry, I think I just got carried away! But now you know', I retorted, but still I was filled with familiar joy. I always felt like this when I was able to get the right answer. I loved math!

'I think I almost understand your interest in alchemy. I'd actually like to try it out. But of course, you have better things to do than teach alchemy for some voice in your head…' I let the sentence hover between us, and Ed sighed.

'Are you trying to get me teach you alchemy or not?' Ed asked, not wanting to guess. 'Well, it would be nice…' I said and he groaned. 'We'll see about that.'

'Want to be the one in control again?' I asked drearily and Ed probably noticed my unwillingness. I really missed having my own body, it wasn't fun at all to be hanging around in blackness, not feeling anything, just seeing and hearing things. Now I understood how Al felt. 'To think he has been like that for four years…' 'Who's been what? 'Nothing!' I answered hastily. 'You're lying. Don't forget that I can hear your thoughts', Ed said and I heard a tint of sadness in his voice. 'Oh…'

'You can keep the control 'till someone comes in or you start doing something stupid', he said and I smiled happily. 'Thank you.' I stood up while looking the automail leg to be sure that it actually did like I wanted it to. I heard Ed laugh. 'You're weird.' 'Don't say that, you've lived like this for what, five years?, and I've been in this body for a couple of hours!' I said inside of my head, while keeping my eyes locked to the leg. 'Just forget that you don't feel it and walk. My body knows how to move it.' Ed explained and I lifted up my chin, feeling a little bit hesitant to walk. I took a step, and the automail worked just fine. I took two. Still working. Three. Four. Ten. "Whoa", I whispered and looked to my left. A smirk spread to my face and I heard Ed groan. 'Good thing that they have mirrors in there.' I stared at him/myself. He looked even better in reality. Well, his face was a bit pale now, the bruises were cured by the Philosopher's stone, but I was sure that he would look gorgeous with a little tan. I couldn't help but wonder if he had rock-hard sixpack and strong arms like in the manga, because even with the pants I could see his muscled thighs and calves…

'Hey…' A threatening growl came from the back of my head and I flinched. 'Uh, I got the hint…' I turned his/my back to the mirror and looked at the floor.

'Watcha gonna do?'

'You'll see.' And with that, I reached for my toes with my hands to see how flexible he was. To my surprise my hand touched the ground with no effort. 'Holy shit. FUCK', I cursed and stared at my, no, Ed's, hands.

'What?'

'Well you know my body wasn't flexible at all. My hand reached only here', I put his hands to his calves and he laughed. 'You're kidding, right? Just who could be so stiff…' 'Most of the teenagers in my world.' He chuckled. 'Just what do you do anyways, sit around?' I shrugged his shoulders. 'Pretty much, yeah', I answered with a blunt voice. 'Your life must be pretty boring.' I was silent for a moment. "… Yeah, it was. The only things that kept me going were riding and FMA', I said, realizing, that it was the truth.

'FMA?'

'It comes from Fullmetal alchemist. We fans are too lazy to always write Fullmetal alchemist, so we say FMA when we mean the show and Fullmetal alchemist when we mean you. Wanna know something?'

'No. But tell anyways.'

'I couldn't care less about FMA, but the actual reason for me to wait for the next chapter so eagerly…' I took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was going to say it… 'was you. I'm one of the fans that have gone too far; we've become daydreamers. I've always had a high change of becoming one, because of my nature of escaping to my head when I'm feeling uncomfortable, but you are the main reason. I had everything I wanted in Finland, but I wasn't able to enjoy of them. I couldn't find my emotions while I was in there. Because of you. There's no one like you, Ed. Our world lacks kindhearted, righteous people. In the end, they all want power and money. So, your difference, your ability to feel such emotions, attracted me. Well, one of the reasons is also that you're effin' hot, but that's not the most important thing to me…' Suddenly I felt like I would start to cry and I pulled back, giving him the control.

'… Now I understand. I died, and this is hell given to me. Or maybe, I never existed as a mind, body and soul…'

* * *

So, here it is. If you haven't already realized, the girl in this fic is very similar to the one in "a Finnish Dream"...  
I could leave this fic like this, as an oneshot, but if people liked this one, I could also continue it. (Remember to review, or I WILL NOT write more. It's your choise. '3)

-Xanta Claus


	2. The Reality

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist.

"The Reality"

'… _Now I understand. I died, and this is hell given to me. Or maybe, I never existed as a mind, body and soul…' _

'You know that's not true. So, don't even think of sulking, 'cause I won't listen to your whining!' Ed growled, and I didn't answer. Nor did I continue with my gibberish.

'Okay, good. So, you said Lior? Is Scar with them?'

'Uh, well…' Then something hit me hard. 'WAIT A MINUTE.'

'What now?'

'Well, that thing pierced your stomach in chapter 76, you healed it in the 77th, and Al went to Lior around chapter 80. So… Just why is it like that?'

'I don't get it. What are you trying to say?'

'Well, agh, I hope I can explain it… You know, why did I get stuck in this body right now? I died when Al reached Lior, which practically means, now when I'm in your body, that I saw the future, unless you've been out for week or two… ' I hated the way my explanation came out.

'You aren't good at explaining, are you? But I think I get what you're trying to say. To think I've just been lying here for weeks…'

'And if you haven't?'

'Well, that's just crazy; how could you read the future from a book?' He scoffed.

'Something crazier; how could someone rule the future by drawing?' I said jokingly. He laughed at me and tried to sound and look serious. 'Well of course it's possible, just what were you thinking?' I chuckled and he grinned mischievously. If I would have had a body, I would have slapped him for acting like an idiot. Well, if his grin wouldn't sweep off my legs from underneath me first. So, in a way, I'm glad that I didn't have a body right now.

'… You're amazing Ed.'

'Uh, thanks?' He wasn't following. I can't blame him though, just how could men understand women? No way, but they still should.

'Well, if you can remember, I was depressed a while ago and now I feel like I could laugh all night. Just how do you do that?' That was true. I was truly happy first time in months.

'Well, I'm gifted, after all', he said and jumped smoothly out of the bed with one swift movement. I envied him, if I had tried that I would have just ended up butt-first on the floor.

'He's like a cat.' I thought, forgetting that he could hear me.

'Who?' He asked while walking to the curtain and pulling it aside. 'Uh, you?' 'Excuse me?' He questioned and I laughed nervously, wondering how I always needed to explain so many things. I didn't talk about that strange things, did I?

'Well, you're flexible, short-tempered, fast, got golden eyes and good balance… Strong- uh, cat's not strong, what about a lion? But isn't lion a bit too big?' … Whoopie-flippin'-do. I just implied that he's small.

'OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH. Shut the fuck up already, will you?'

"I heard that you were awake, but I don't think you should be up yet." A voice said and when Ed turned his head, he, uh, we, saw an old man, who pushed his glasses upwards with his index finger.

"I'm fine", Ed said and looked at Darius, who was sitting next to the "old fart", as Ed preferred to call him.

"I thought yo-"

"You listen to me now, young man! Back to bed, immediately! Honestly dear, I've said this before: such a soft tone won't help with these young blockheads nowadays; they're so full of themselves that I bet that this youth here hasn't anything else in mind than some pretty girl and her porcelain ass!" A short old hag ranted while smacking Ed's chest with a broom. My thoughts: 'What a funny elderly woman', Ed's thoughts: 'What an ugly old hag. ' I chuckled at the woman's comment and Ed was blushing. I didn't know if he was furious or embarrassed, but he grabbed the broom with his automail arm and lifted it up. The hag came along, because she was too obstinate to let go of it. Darius was laughing at the background and Ed shot a deadly glare at him while I was laughing my mental head off, but he ignored it. Just what he could do about it, anyways?

"Why you-! Put me down at this instant, young man! Hasn't your mother taught you how to behave?" The hag screamed in fury while hanging in the air, her short legs swinging around uselessly, because she was too short to kick him.

"My mother is dead", Ed growled to the old hag's face and I pleaded him to let go of the broom, 'Cause I saw already that this conversation wasn't going to a good direction.

"No wonder then. Wouldn't be surprised if the poor woman is dead because of you…" I gasped and felt his anger rise so strongly that I would have trembled furiously, if I had a body. And I didn't even see his face.

'E-Ed, just… just let go, she doesn't know anything, and you know it's not true!' I cried and watched when Ed released his grip and the woman fell to the floor. The distance between Ed's hand and floor was

probably less than 1,5 meters, but old bones were weak; such a fall could broke her hip, arm or leg. I knew this very well, because my grandpa's hip broke badly when he slipped and the recovery took very long. Even now he uses a staff to stable his walk.

'Ed!' He didn't listen, just spun around his heels and snapped at Darius. "Darius, was it? I'll give you the needed papers, get ready to leave to the bank", Ed said and stormed out of the room, closing roughly the curtain. He cleaned the paper where I had calculated the temperature a while ago, and started writing so furiously that the pen snapped to half at one point. He cursed the pen and repaired it with alchemy. I was silent and just watched as his right hand speeded over the paper. His signature came out messy, but I could imagine it like it would be when he didn't write in such a hurry. It was flowing, but somehow, it had sharp edges and lines that made it personal. He took his state alchemist pocket watch out of his pocket and stared at it for a brief second, before slamming it to the table.

"I didn't forget anything, did I?" he mumbled under his breath as he grabbed the watch and papers.

"Darius! You better be ready!" He shouted and stepped back to the main room, the papers in his right hand and watch in another. For my relief the old hag seemed to be okay, as she was brewing coffee.

"Hmm? Is that what I think it is?" the old man asked and pushed his glasses up again.

"What is what, dear? … A state alchemist! I knew that you were in the military because of the uniforms, but to think you brought here a state alchemist! You should have just left him die!" The old hag said and slammed her hand to the table.

"Now now dear, he is only a kid…" The doctor alias old fart said, trying to calm his wife down at the same time as I was talking to Ed. 'C'mon, she's just an old hag, who hasn't had anything to do for a long time, don't take her seriously!'

"And that's just it! No kid should join the military; it just proves that he loves to fight! What would be better, just become a military dog and go to war! No one cares if you kill thousands of people when you're working for the military!"

I almost screamed at Ed when he took a step forward, but then Darius showed up out of nowhere and took the papers and watch from Ed's hands.

"Calm down, Fullmetal", he ordered and Ed gritted his teeth. 'Ed, he's right. If you want, I could talk to that old hag there. I might get her to change her opinion.' 'I don't care what she thinks, we're leaving soon anyways.' 'She won't keep her mouth shut. After we leave, she will go straight to the closest military personnel and tell everything. But if she likes you, she won't talk. Please?' '… Do what you want, but if you do something weird..!' 'I promise not to.' I got the control and this time I was ready to keep the stance, it wouldn't look so convincing if he would fall to the floor, would it? I walked past Darius and raised a hand to stop him when he was about to say something. The old hag was throwing daggers at me with her eyes, but I didn't care, just walked forward. Neither did I smile, because I knew that the old hag wouldn't buy it.

"I really wouldn't appreciate to hear such words from an elderly woman, so might I ask why do you hold such a grudge against state alchemists?" I had already guessed the answer, but it is never good to keep everything bottled up inside of yourself, so I asked.

"You ask why? You monsters killed my only son! He was a good young man, he used alchemy to help people, unlike you, but in the end, what was the only thing he was good for? Used as a bomb against the Ishbalans!" She growled and I stared. Kimbley had killed their son…

"May your son's soul rest in peace. I might need to remind you of the fact that I joined the military after the rebellion. Also, the one whose fault is for me to be in this condition is the same man who killed your son." I saw from her eyes that I had finally caught her interest. 'Ed, can I tell that you were trying to kill him?'

'… Go ahead.'

"We were trying to kill him, but he found out about our plans and I ended up fighting him. When he blew up the building, I got pierced with that bar." She stared at me. "You were trying to… kill him?" I nodded and she looked doubtful.

"We couldn't tolerate his actions anymore, so we decided to end it for good. But, as you can see, we failed." I saw how the "old hag" shifted her weight from leg to another, unsure how she should take this in.

"You can't be called a state alchemist; you weren't even able to kill one man." She seemed to be happy and sad at the same time. She didn't think Ed was scum anymore, but I knew that she had hoped that Kimbley would have been dead.

Uncomfortable silence fell upon the room, and I started playing with my hands.

'Stop it', Ed ordered.

'Why?'

'I don't ever do that.'

'Oh.' I stopped and put my hands to my pockets.

"Want coffee?" I puckered my browns and wondered that just who was talking and to who?

'Idiot, she's asking you, or well, me!' Ed snapped and I grimaced.

'I hate coffee. It's unhealthy.' Yup, that's right, I don't drink coffee, because it tastes horrible and strains my stomach.

'Well, that's so sad', Ed said and took the control forcibly, "Yea, thanks."

"Will you drink it black?" she asked and Ed nodded. 'Oh, how wonderful! You're really trying to kill your stomach, aren't you?'

'Shut up already! I don't need you fussing over me. I can do whatever I want with my body.'

As you can see, I lost the fight and Ed drank his horrible coffee. The lion-guy showed up a while after Ed's coffee break, some shabby coats in hand.

"Oh great! Gimme one", Ed said eagerly, snatching the coat from the other man's hand and pulling it on.

"I'm going for a walk", he was already stepping outside, when Darius called back to him: "Let your hair loose so they won't recognize you so easily!" I grimaced when Ed roughly pulled off the ponytail and let his hair fall to his shoulders.

"If we're leaving in such a hurry, we should as well buy some groceries for us." Darius said and handed some money to Ed, who nodded, taking the money.

"Anything else?" When Darius shook his head, Ed spun quickly around his heels, because he wanted to leave before someone could stop him. Ed stuffed the money to his pocket while walking and stepped outside to the cold but clear winter air. He took a long, deep breath, but started coughing vigorously by the next second when the cool air dried his strained lungs.

'When you're ready with coughing your lungs out, let's start looking for the main street.'

'Are you nuts? I will go there only if I want to be recognized by everyone!'

'But I want to see it! It's not like they will think much of you when they see you; the main streets are always busy, you blend in. If you wander alone in deserted streets, you're more likely to be noticed!' Ed was silent and I grinned. 'You lost, just admit it.' Ed groaned and asked the next person who walked towards us where the main street was, and to my opinion, he could have been a bit more polite while doing so. After Ed had got the right direction out of the young girl, I used all my will power to take over the body's control for a second. Ed was so surprised that he didn't react instantly, and that was enough for me. I smirked and winked to the girl, who blushed, bowed her head and started fidgeting with her fingers.

Then the world stopped. Well, for me, at least.

'Just what do you think you're doing?' Ed growled angrily and I winced, before a wry smile spread to my lips. 'Oh c'mon, didn't you see how she looked at you? Believe me or not, but that will grow her self-confidence. She's a cute girl, isn't she? It would be a shame if she won't understand that there are guys who find her interesting.'

'Is that so? BUT DON'T DO IT WITH MY BODY. I can't believe we just talked about keeping a low profile.' He muttered and I sighed.

'Excuse me, _I_ can't believe _you_. You've got it all: good looks, money and everyone knows you: just how can you not be a womanizer? Just what's wrong with you? Are you gay?' I teased.

'NO. I just don't want to be like that damn Mustang. It's not like I don't like girls, I do like them, but…' Ed went surprisingly silent and I chuckled.

'See? So why not? I promise you, it'll be fun!'

'BECAUSE I HAVE TO RESTORE AL. I don't have time to goofy around with girls!' He shouted and I bit my lip. I knew that, but he really needed something else to think about than those damn homunculi and alchemy.

'You know, you need to relax. You're going to exhaust yourself! As Mustang said: Man should be able to handle both women and work! When you "goofy around" once in a while, you have more energy to focus on your task. So, why not ask this young girl here for a cup of hot chocolate?' I said, smirking, and Ed actually thought about it.

'No, I have to buy the groceries.'

'Is that so?' "Tell me, how would a cup of hot chocolate sound to you? It's pretty could out here." I said smiling, and I heard how Ed choked. His mistake, he forgot to take over. Even if he did it now, he couldn't run away from the fact that if the girl would want something, he had to buy it.

She lifted her chin up and looked at Ed, or me, with surprise all over her pretty face.

"I…"

"Okay now, your little game ends here, young man. Hands off of my daughter." Something clicked behind me, but I didn't recognize the sound. However, Ed did. 'He's got a gun!'

"You might want to move to my side", I said calmly and something cold poked my head.

"Excuse me?"

"If I dodge your bullet, you're going to shoot a hole to your dear daughter's head", I stated and felt how the gun trembled against the back of Ed's head, while Ed himself was telling me to stop what I was doing and just walk away, but I refused and told him to watch. I feared that he would try to take the control back, but luckily, he let me keep it for now.

"Emily, you come here right now!" The man ordered and Emily shivered.

"Father, stop! He didn't do anything, he just-"

"That's why you're so childish! Of course he plays nice at first, but before you realize it, you've lost all of your money and you're lying in some street with your sore, raped butt. Stupid child. Now come here!" He roared and I flinched. What a horrible father she had. Emily walked past me, her head bowed and her body language telling me that she expected to get beaten.

'Damn, I so want to chance some words with that guy, what kind of father hits her own daughter? If he just wouldn't have that gun.' Ed's blood was boiling, too. 'Actually, getting rid of the gun won't be that hard.' Some images flashed before my eyes and I smirked. With Ed's amazing speed I whipped around, grabbed the gun with my left hand, so he wouldn't run away, and did a roundhouse kick to his chest. When the guy fell down to the snow I pulled the gun out of his hand and pointed it at him.

"Tell me, what do you think of people who beat their own family?" The man in the ground grimaced and tried to get up, but I knelt down and put the tip of the gun between his eyes. He squinted his eyes and I laughed.

"I asked you a question, but it seems that you're not capable of answering it. What's the matter?", I asked evilly, while pressing the gun harder against his head and twisting it around.

"I-I don't know." The man just stared at the gun, fear written all over his face and I snickered.

"So, do you beat your own family? Huh?" I growled with Ed's dark voice.

"Y-yes. I do." He whispered fearfully.

"Will you stop it if you order you to?" I pressed the gun against his head with all of the force of Ed's automail, and almost hoped that it would go through his skull.

"Yes! Yes! Please stop, please!" The man begged and I smiled.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" I said while tapping his fat cheek with the gun. I rose up effortlessly and turned my back to him after giving him one last death glare.

"I promise that I will know if you even think of anything stupid." With that I walked away, towards the bustling main street, because we still had to buy the groceries Darius wanted.

'I never would have believed that you could do that', Ed said and I shrugged.

'Thanks to your hand-to-hand combat skills.'

'I didn't mean that. You held that gun like Hawkeye.' I was going to answer, but a cry from behind stopped me.

"Wait!" I turned around and there the shouter was; Emily. She stopped in front of me and panted loudly while resting her hands to her knees.

"Take me… take me with you! Please!" I could only stare at her.

'Uh, Ed?'

'Absolutely not. She'll only get in the way.' He said firmly and I sighed.

'C'mon, she has nowhere else to go. Can you even imagine how she feels right now? She has endured beating for Lord knows how long and now I showed her a way out. She wants to live like everyone else and to be happy. What if we take her with us for now, and leave her at some city where she could live?' I could only feel sorry for the girl, she was probably 15 like me, and was thin like a rake.

"Why?"

"I think you're a good guy, absolutely not a rapist. Please, I'll do anything…"

"I didn't mean that. Why do you want to leave him?" I asked and nodded towards the man, who sat on the ground and flinched when he noticed that I was looking at him.

"Why? Because I hate him! He… he killed mom, big brother and drowned Rain, my cat, when I was four! He beats me every day, makes me to go to work and uses all the money to alcohol. And when he's drunk, he beats me whatever I do and shouts how I'm useless, lazy prat!" Tears fell down her pale cheeks and I bit my lip, offering her the gun.

"Do you want to shoot him?" I asked, dead serious. She stared at the gun, and slid her thin fingers across the metal. She reached for the handle, but stopped.

"I do… but I'm not the one who decides when he dies. That's God's job." She sobbed.

'Are you crazy? Offer her a gun while she was so upset… She could have killed that man!' Ed was furious again, and I wondered if he would ever calm down. It isn't so easy to focus on talking aloud when someone shouts inside of your head.

'I wouldn't have let go of the gun. But now we know that she has some righteous thoughts in her little head.'

"God? There are no such things as gods." I laughed and tilted my head to the side. "Can you cook?" When she nodded vigorously, I smirked.

"Do you have anything you want to bring along?" Joy filled her features and she sprinted to a near dark alleyway. Within minutes she was back with a little ragged bag resting on her shoulder.

"I'm ready to go!"

While she had been away, Ed had finally realized that he could take the control back. So, now he was the one in command and smiled a small smile.

"Okay. To the main street, then."

While walking, I and Ed had a feisty talk, just guess about what.

'Look at what you've done! I've gotten threaten with a gun and now a girl is happily following me around. Tell me how I'm going to explain this to Darius and Heinkel?'

'Tell them that she can cook!'

'Shut up! She won't be able to defend herself!'

'You can teach her!'

'No way!'

'Why not?'

'I don't have time!'

'Yes you do; while we're travelling!'

'She can't take even that; she is all skin and bone! She'll eat like a horse!'

'We'll, it's not like we lack money, you can fix things with alchemy if necessary!'

'Oh yeah, put me to work! Why wouldn't you do it yourself, after all, you're the one who started all of this!'

'So, you would have left her there? I didn't know you were so selfish. All that matters is you and Al, eh?'

'No! But getting Al's body back is my top priority right now!'

'I get it. Let's stop bickering like an old married couple and concentrate on the task in hand; also called as buying the groceries.'

'You're annoying.'

'Thanks, same to you.' I hated to fight with him like that. It always left me feeling sad, because I wanted to be friends with him. … More than just friends. We visited various shops in silence, neither of us spoke and Emily followed suit, not daring to say anything. I felt empty and guilty for making Ed mad, and I just couldn't stand the uncomfortable silence between us, so I gave in.

'… Sorry, Ed. I promise I won't do anything like that before telling you in the future.' I've always been bad at staying mad at people, because I don't want to be left entirely alone, even though I sometimes enjoyed when there was no one around.

'Anything like what?' He asked, and I instantly knew from his voice that he was still pissed.

'Well, take control, play around and take risks… I'm really sorry', I said with a defeated tone and he sighed.

'Is that a promise?'

'Yes!'

'You better keep it', he said sternly, while taking a paper bag full of groceries from an old woman.

"Thanks", he said and gave a lopsided smile to the storekeeper, who waved her hand in response. Emily was right on his heels when he exited the shop and started walking towards the doctors' place.

'I just remembered something I read a long time ago', I chuckled and Ed rolled his eyes.

'I don't know if I want to know.'

'"_Friends are like butt cheeks; shit may come between them, but they always stick together."_'

'Well… that's weird', Ed said, but he grinned nonetheless.

When we passed a deli, I remembered one thing that Ed wasn't so happy about. 'We did offer her a cup of chocolate, didn't we?' 'You did', he growled, and I shrugged my mental shoulders. 'Little facts like that don't matter. But wouldn't be _so_ impolite to offer a young girl something and then pull it back?' I asked slyly and Ed rolled his eyes in frustration. 'Do I really have to?' He asked and I smirked. 'Will you do it, or me?' 'Forget it.'

"It's pretty cold out here. You know, that offer is still valid", Ed said and smiled to Emily, who was walking next to him. She was walking with her head bowed, like a good obedient girl, and her head bolted up in surprise.

"What?" She asked bluntly and blushed.

"You're being cautious for no reason. Stop looking like you're sorry for being alive; stand tall. So, do you want some hot chocolate or not?" Ed didn't like how she was so jumpy, people were watching and probably thinking that she was some kind of toy of his.

"Uh, yes, thank you." She said and bowed her head again, to Ed's irritation. He walked behind her, laid his hands on her shoulders and pulled backwards so her bearing straightened. "Good. Just keep it that way, okay?" When she nodded, he led her to the deli and bought two steaming cups of hot chocolate. They both sat down on a table next to the window and Emily kept glancing outside, as if avoiding Ed's captivating glare. Neither of them even tasted their drinks; the hot chocolate was still too hot to drink and only good for warming their frozen fingers before it would cool off. Of course Ed could have lowered the drinks' temperature with alchemy, that is, if he wanted everybody's attention to himself.

While Emily was looking out of the window, Ed and I had a good opportunity to take a good look at her. Her long, tangled brown hair reached her lower back and she had swollen, pale cheeks. I hadn't noticed it before, but there was an old bruise on her cheek that was already fading away. She had also a slightly fat lip and burnt mark on her neck, as if someone had stumped a cigarette there. Dark bags were visible under her brown eyes and she looked exhausted.

'She needs a haircut and some make-up', was the first thing that came into my mind.

'Excuse me? She needs some food and sleep before that. Lots of food and sleep.'

'Pff. So, what are we going to tell her? Would it be better to fake your name and leave her at some town before we reach Lior? That way she won't get tangled up in this mess.'

'You're right', Ed agreed and sipped his drink. "Damn", he muttered when he burned his tongue and coughed.

"So, tell me something about yourself, and I will tell something about me", Ed said and snapped his mouth shut before he could say 'Equivalent exchange' and reveal the fact that he was an alchemist. It was unlikely that Emily would understand it, but it never hurt to be careful. 'Alchemy-geek.'

He ignored my comment.

Emily looked surprised –again- when Ed talked to her and it took a couple of seconds from her to open her mouth.

"Uh… Well, my name is Emily Leau, I'm 15 years old, and I have no family. I like animals…" She went silent for a while and then laughed. "I suppose there is pretty much nothing else to tell…"

"It's okay. So… My name is Drawde Cirle, just call me Ed, I'm 16 years old and I have a little brother who is pretty far away right now. That's about it." Ed smirked, while I was dumbfounded. Of course he wouldn't admit his mistake, because he was way too stubborn for that, but that didn't stop me from scolding him. 'You're an idiot. Worse than that. Why not some name that isn't your real name backwards?! She'll realize it someday, I'm sure about it.'

'Shut up, it's said and done.'

"Oh, really? You have a unique name, don't you? It's actually pretty funny how it's 'Edward' backwards. I wonder if your parents thought of that when they gave you that name", Emily said innocently, while I was laughing my head off. 'See? She realized it right away.' Now it was Ed's turn to be dumbfounded.

"You know, the Elric brothers are pretty famous even in here. It's quite interesting, actually. I haven't met an alchemist before." Emily kept smiling, while Ed covered his face with his hands and rested his elbows to the table.

"The military is looking for you. They walk around in the streets and ask if someone has seen a short blonde boy who wears a red coat", she said, and her face was now pretty serious.

"I bet they are… Wait a minute._ Who is so short that you can't see him behind snowbanks?_"Ed growled and looked at Emily with murderous eyes.

"Not you. You're taller than me", she said in amusement and drank all of her hot chocolate with one big gulp. Ed looked at his own drink and emptied the cup as fast as Emily did. His tongue had already healed thanks to the stone's power.

"Are we ready to go?"

"Yeah. Thanks for the hot chocolate", Emily said as she rose up and walked to the door.

"It was nothing." With that they left the deli and headed to the doctors'.

* * *

A stupid ending and a dull chapter, I know. - Sorry. But it's better than nothing, right? If you wonder about the chapter's title, "The Reality", it's just something that came into my mind. Maybe I wanted to emphasize the fact that in reality, nothing ever go as planned. (For example, Ed tried to hide his actual name, but failed. It was his fault, though.)

Review if you feel like doing so. And thanks to those who already have! I really appreciate it.

Xanta Claus


	3. 5cm Difference

**"5cm difference"**

(The next part is almost directly from FMA manga chapter 81, except the fact that Emily is with Ed.)

Neither Emily nor Ed talked during the walk to the doctors, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable, they just didn't feel like talking.

'Well, weren't they fast', Ed growled as he saw a soldier standing in front of the door.

"Follow me, but don't say a word."

Ed walked casually towards the soldier and stopped in front of him, Emily following suit.

"Huh? What're you soldiers doing here?"

'You're good at acting.'

'Shut up.'

"We're a search party. Have you seen anyone suspicious come in or out of here lately?"

"Suspicious…?" Ed kept his voice laid-back, "What do they look like?"

"Let's see", the soldier took a piece of paper out of his pocket, "he wears a red coat… blond hair in a ponytail… Short." Uh-oh. I didn't even get a change to tell Ed to keep his cool before he totally snapped and punched the living daylights out of the guy.

'I hope you didn't break his jaw.'

'Who cares?!'

He was still fuming when a guy came to check out his partner and Ed knocked him out cold as well. He strode inside and raised his brows at Heinkel, who was holding his hands in the air. The lion chimera shrugged and gestured towards the wall, and Ed punched right trough it with his automail arm like it was made of cardboard. He grabbed a hold of the soldier's neck through the wall and held him still till he passed out. Emily was right on his heels all the time but she kept her distance, because she had soon realized that Ed was indeed a human weapon.

"Geez, you took 'em all down alone", Darius said as he came behind the curtain and took the soldier's gun out off the guy's reach, "chill out a little, you're not at 100 yet."

"DON'T TREAT ME LIKE I'M STILL LAID UP!" He growled and clenched his fist. "I'm all fired up and ready to go!"

'Oooh, bad-ass. Done with showing off?' Ed just growled again, spitted the stick out of his mouth and replaced it with bread.

"So, who's the girl?" Heinkel asked and pointed at Emily.

"Oh? She's Emily and she will come with us."

Ed tone told Heinkel and Darius that he wouldn't listen to complaining and the chimeras shrugged.

'Ed, wasn't Lior in the middle of desert?'

'Yeah.'

'And northern automail's weak spot was heat?'

"Shit", he cursed out loud.

"What?" Darius asked as he packed their food supplies to a shaggy bag.

"We need to travel during nights, or I'm going to get fried."

"Oh yeah, the automail…" Darius muttered and threw the bag on his shoulder.

"What are you still doing in here? Get going!" The doctors led them to the door with a help of a broom, "Hurry, hurry!"

"Thanks a million, doc", Darius said while Heinkel searched the soldiers for guns and money.

"Yeah, thanks", Ed said through the bread and waved.

"Save it, just get outta here!"

Ed took the paper out of the soldier's hand that he had punched unconscious earlier and read it. "So they're looking for a guy in a red coat with a ponytail, huh…" he muttered as he munched his bread, "guess I'll stick with these clothes for awhile."

Behind the corner appeared a new pair of soldiers, who clicked off the safety from their guns and shouted:"FREEZE!"

"Tsk… not again", Heinkel muttered, while Ed kept chewing his bread like there were nothing to worry about. Emily was hiding behind their backs, probably wondering if it really had been a good choice to follow Ed.

"Drop your weapons and hands above your heads! NOW!"

Heinkel and Darius exchanged glances while Ed ate the rest of his bread.

"YOU freeze!" Heinkel shouted as Darius grabbed a hold of Ed's neck and pointed a gun to his head. "Yeah, don't make me put a bullet in this kid's brain!" Ed just stared ahead like nothing was happening.

'You could act like a hostage', I said, but Ed didn't care.

"You scum, how can you involve such a small child in this?!" They shouted in disbelief.

'There we go with the small-word again', I sighed and Ed gritted his teeth furiously. If Darius hadn't had a hold of him, he would have definitely done the same to them as the other soldiers.

"Hahaha! We couldn't let such a great hostage get away!" Heinkel laughed evilly and Darius added:"Now YOU drop YOUR guns!" With that they took off running and Emily followed suit, leaving the stunned soldiers behind.

"STOP!" "AFTER THEM!" "AROUND BACK!" The soldiers shouted orders to each other and were going to pursue the "kidnappers", but the doctors jumped on a soldier and kept him still.

"Oh mister soldier, thank goodness! We were so scared!"

"There was nothing we could do, they were so horrible to us!"

"Let go, damn it!"

"Don't leave us!"

"We were really, really scared!"

"Those two sure catch on quick…" Darius said while running and opened a door with his back. Two more soldiers were waiting outside, but they had to take cover from Heinkel's fire.

"Get us some wheels", Heinkel said while keeping the soldiers away with gunfire.

"On it." A while after Ed/I and Emily were sitting on the backseats of newly hijacked car and Ed pulled his hair to a ponytail to keep it out of the way.

"Shit, they're on our tail! You drive like an old woman, Donkey Kong!" Ed shouted and watched as the soldiers drew nearer.

"Don't call me that!" Darius shouted, "They're used to driving in snow, of course they're driving better!"

Then Ed had an idea, and told Darius to turn right.

"Do a u-turn the second we're past the corner!" he ordered and clapped his hands together.

"Man, I have NO idea what you're thinking, but okay!" Darius said as he turned the wheel and the car turned strongly, scraping a street lamp. Ed and Emily both swung to the right and Ed hit his hands to the car. The whole vehicle flashed blue and in an instant it had turned to a weird-looking berserker-car, if you could call it that. Emily was on top of us, and groaned in pain. "Ow, I think I bumped my head", she whined and realized that she was literally in Ed's lap. "Sorry!" she squealed and went to the furthest corner of the car.

The soldiers came behind the corner and drove past us.

"… That was close", Ed said as he watched how the cars disappeared behind another corner.

"All right, transmute this car into something more practical", Heinkel said in a distressed voice.

"Why, this look is totally badass!"

'It's horrible, Ed.'

"Just do it. PLEASE."

"What the hell? You two have a problem with my design?"

"Yeah… Too many to list."

In 10 minutes Ed had fallen asleep, and I got automatically control. I was surprised how tired the body was, and I had to fight against the urge to sleep.

"I thought you just fell asleep", Emily questioned and her brows knitted together.

'So she noticed.'

"Oh, yeah. I was close to it, but Darius decided to drive to a bump", I said and eyed Darius angrily.

'I wonder which one of us will wake up and be in control, if I'm the last one to fall asleep?' I hoped it would be me.

"Wake me up in the morning", and with that I let the fatigue overcome me.

We had reached the desert in the morning, and Heinkel switched positions with exhausted Darius.

"We'll drive till this car becomes a boiler. Then you can make us a shelter, Fullmetal", Heinkel said and started the car. After a kilometer we were stuck to the sand, and Ed had to transmute the sand to rock so we could move again.

"DAMN IT!" Ed cursed after we had got stuck ten times during the same hour.

"Let's just stop here and continue in the evening", Heinkel said and stepped outside the car. All four had stripped off from their winter jackets a long time ago, and Heinkel and Darius had rolled up their sleeves. Ed was wearing only his tank top, but Emily insisted keeping her blouse on to cover her bruised arms.

"You'll die to a heatstroke", Ed grunted and made a shelter where they could stay the hottest hours of the day.

We reached Lior in four days. The city rose aruptly from the sea of sand, the heat making it look like it waved and twisted constantly. I was the first one to wake up, but when I felt the burning heat of the automail I was more than pleased when Ed woke up and took the control.

'Damn. We need to find Winry and fast', he grunted and walked in every possible shadow. He had his right arm covered with a jacket so it wouldn't take all the heat from the sun, but the burning was horrible even then. They had parked the car further away, the city was too narrow and crowded to drive.

'Oh… Ed, why don't you use the stone to chance the automail to titanium and steel or something?' I asked, and Ed cursed.

'You say that now. Whoa, that wouldn't be cool wouldn't? Titanium is so expensive that Winry could never do one for me, but now…' I concentrated not to be on Ed's way when he clapped his hands and touched his automail leg and arm.

"What did you do?" Darius asked and stared at Ed when he moved his automail hand and leg.

"I should have done this earlier. I changed my arm and leg to titanium and steel", he said and walked forward, looking at the buildings under construction.

"It's good to see that they're finally doing things on their own."

"Hey! You there! Are you- HEY PEOPLE! THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST IS HERE! EDWARD ELRIC IS HERE!" The approaching man shouted to others and the word spread like a plague.

"Ah. Shit", Ed groaned but smiled when two more men jogged towards us.

"It's great to see you again! Your brother and father are here too! Come, you and your companions must be thirsty!" They patted Ed on the back and lead us to the centre. Ed smiled warmly to the people and laughed with them, but when he felt a weird tugging in his gut and turned his head towards it, his smile died and his glare became icy cold.

"Hohenheim", he growled and his muscles tensed.

"Edward", the old man said and his brows knitted together as he stood up.

"It seems that you've turned yourself to a monster as well", he said and Ed took a threatening step forward.

"Like father, like son…" he sighed, and Ed sprinted forward, his right hand pulled back ready to strike.

"You are not my father!" He yelled and threw a punch towards Hohenheim's face, but the man stepped aside and Ed jumped to midair, took support from the ground with his right hand and swung his right leg towards Hohenheim, his left leg coming right after. The kick reached old man's ribs and threw him across the avenue.

"We might be linked with blood, but I will NEVER accept you as my father!" Ed growled and approached again with monstrous speed. The closer he got, the powerful the tugging become.

'The two Philosopher's stones are reacting to each other's presence', I realized and Ed grinned.

'It's almost appealing… I never thought the power could feel so good.'

Ed jumped in midair again and came with his left leg first towards Hohenheim, ready to crush him, but was blocked by a wall created with alchemy.

"You left mother and us, and she died because of the hardship you made her go through! And you never even begged for forgiveness in front of her grave!"

"Ed decomposed the wall without even clapping his hands and caught Hohenheim by his throat with his automail arm.

"Gotcha." Out of blue Ed focused on Hohenheim's stone and a red light surrounded them for a second. It glowed for a moment around Ed and disappeared.

'I would have never expected that from you', I said in disbelief as Ed released his grip and took a step backwards.

'Have to say, I didn't plan it out, I just… did it.' The tugging from before was gone almost completely, and Hohenheim seemed pale.

'You totally drained him dry, didn't you?'

'Nah, I left more than enough souls in him. He's not used to it, I guess', he shrugged and shot a nasty glare at Hohenheim before turning his back to him.

"Brother! They told the truth when they said that you were here! I… oh", Alphonse jogged happily towards Ed but stopped in his tracks when he saw Hohenheim on the ground, "brother, did you really have to do that? Father, are you okay?" Alphonse scolded and jogged past Ed to help Hohenheim get up. "Father, are you okay? You seem pale", Al asked in a worried tone as the old man wobbled and Hohenheim smiled weakly.

"I'm okay, Alphonse. I'm just a bit weak after losing so many souls at once", he said in a hushed tone so the people surrounding them wouldn't hear.

"What? What did brother do? He didn't try to kill you, did he?"

"No no. He drew them to himself."

"WHAT? Do you mean that brother…" When Hohenheim nodded, Alphonse let go of his father and strode towards Edward, who was standing in the middle off the square next to the long dried fountain.

"Al, let me explain-", he started, but Alphonse didn't stop until he had thrown a punch towards his brother.

"Al, -Whoah!" Ed jumped and did a somersault in midair, landing behind Al.

"Listen to me, Al! I HAVE AN EXPLANATION!" he roared when Al turned around.

"Ed!" Two voices, both belonging to a woman, yelled in unison and Ed heard how someone approached him from behind.

"Ed, I was so worried…" Ed knew whose that voice was.

"Don't bother me now, woman." Normally Winry would have hit Ed for not paying attention to her and she probably would have done it now too, if Ed didn't turn around when he heard the still approaching footsteps. The sight frightened her and she stopped right on her tracks, not daring to move. Ed was maybe over 5 centimeters (1.96 inches) taller than her, and he was looking her like he was going to strike her down to ground if she moved.

Ed hated how she reacted when he glared at her and he turned his head again towards Al so he wouldn't need to see her eyes.

"I was fighting Kimbley and I had just kicked one Philosopher's stone from his hand, when he drew out another and brought the whole building down with one huge explosion. I got pierced with a bar and I had to close the wound with alchemy. Darius found the stone I had kicked out of Kimbley's hand and he and Heinkel carried me to a doctor. Without the stone I would still be in bed and my organs would have suffered a great amount. I've been too soft, and to change that I had to do it. If I would have finished Kimbley when I had the change, none of this would have happened." Everyone was silent, and Al stared at Ed in disbelief.

"That… that still doesn't explain what you did to father!" he said and clenched his fists.

"I did it on impulse, Al. I have no other explanation for that. But he deserved it", Ed said, but he didn't look away before Al had let his shoulders drop. When Al wasn't in the mood for fighting anymore, Ed turned around and looked at Winry with guilt shining in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you like that … I've been worrying too", Ed said softly and placed his hand on her shoulder. Winry raised her hand like she was going to hug him, but then she pulled away and tried to slap him.

'CATCH HER HAND!' I screamed and Ed caught it without even realizing it. He held her hand up, but the grip was light.

'Don't look angry, just question it.'

Winry bowed her head when Ed raised his eyebrow at her and slid her hand out of his hold.

'She's going to cry!'

'No, wait.'

And then, Winry wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her head in his chest.

'I knew it! C'mon, hug her back and hurry up or she thinks you're rejecting her!' Ed slid his hands to her back protectively and rested her chin on her head. I didn't say a word and let them enjoy the moment, but I couldn't help the sad and jealous feeling that was gnawing my stomach. By every minute, by every second, I felt even worse and in the end I couldn't stand it.

'Pull away. You can't stay like that for all eternity. If you go further or keep hugging her for too long, you're just using her grief on your own behalf. If she whines, soothe her with words, but don't hug her or she will just get mad to herself after this for showing her weak side to you.' Ed sighed and pulled away, even though Winry whimpered and gripped his shirt. "Shh." Ed hushed and looked over Winry's shoulder to see Rose standing a few meters away. He smiled and waved at her.

'How did you know she would hug me?'

'I'm a girl myself.' I stated the obvious and Ed rolled his eyes.

'I envy Rose for her good looks.'

'Well, she's quite beautiful, isn't she?' Ed admitted and started walking towards her.

'Indeed she is. No wonder she has had a boyfriend already. I wonder if there are other young suitable men for her in Lior.'

'I bet there is.'

'Really? After going through so much I think not any guy could do. There are many jerks in this world. Someone like you would be the best for her.'

'I beg your pardon? You aren't implying anything, are you?'

'No, of course not. I just used you as an example. I'm still wondering why every single girl in Amestris isn't swooning over you. I would', I said playfully.

'Haha. Shut up', he growled and opened his mouth to say something to Rose, but a shout from behind stopped him.

"YOU! You're Kimbley's goons!" Someone pulled out their guns and clicked off the safety.

"SAME TO YOU!"

"STOP IT, Heinkel and Darius are with me!" Ed shouted and the tension loosened a little.

"Who's the girl?" Zanpano asked and pointed at Emily, who had insisted on staying with them till they reached Lior.

"She's Emily. I wanted to talk about her with you, Rose. She was treated really badly in where I picked her up and I kind of hoped if she could stay here. I bet she can help with the laundry and stuff", Ed explained and scratched his head.

"Oh, of course! A helping hand is always welcome. Come here Emily, you're probably starving, right? I bet you all are. Come on!" Rose said and gestured everyone to follow her with a happy smile dancing on her lips.

After Rose had served everyone with a bowl of soup, she sat next to Ed and looked as he ate.

"So, have you got any closer to the thing you are looking for?" She asked and Ed raised his head to look at her.

"Yeah. I couldn't be closer to it", he said with a wide grin and Rose stared at him.

"So you found it? Then why..?"

"For various reasons."

"Oh…"

"It seems that you're recovering well from everything. It's good to see how everyone is trusting in teamwork and themselves", Ed said, chancing the subject.

"Yeah. It's all thanks to you. You opened our eyes", Rose said, pride evident in her voice. Slowly she slid her hand along the table towards Ed's hand and placed it on top of his.

"Thank you for everything, Ed", she said softly and smiled a warm smile that reminded Ed of his mother's gentle smile.

"Sure. It's good to hear that I didn't just cause more commotion. Believe me; I'm pretty good at it." Rose laughed and Ed joined her.

'Isn't it mysterious how you get every girls attention after you've grown 5 centimeters?' I teased and he growled at me.

"I can't believe it's been only a year: you seem so much older and mature", Rose said and Ed blushed.

"You think so? Well, I'm not allowed to stay as a kid forever, otherwise I'll be dead. To return the compliment, you're beautiful as ever." If you wonder why Ed was saying things like that, I can reveal the fact that I was pulling some strings. But it didn't mean that they weren't enjoying themselves.

'A little flirt here and there feels refreshing. You can't argue on that.' Ed grunted, because he was too stubborn to show his agreement.

"Oh yeah, you're still a state alchemist, aren't you? Every now and then we get to hear about you, and it always sounds so dangerous. You're pretty famous already", Rose kept her voice cheery and interested, and I could see that she was enjoying and that she understood what they were doing.

"Yeah, I can't deny that."

"Thanks to his rank as a major and the fact that his superior officer is in Central, he's probably the riches teenager in Amestris", Darius said with a mischievous grin and elbowed Ed playfully on the ribs.

"Darius", Ed growled and Rose giggled.

"Is that so?" She asked and Ed shrugged with a smile as he took a spoonful of soup.

'It's cooled down', he thought and touched the bowl with his hand. An electric blue light flashed and the soup was steaming again.

"Whoa, you can even warm a soup even though it so complex?" Rose asked as Edward took a bite of his bread.

"I could do that, but it's easier to just warm the water because the warmth will spread. It's like when someone warms your heart; you feel it all way to your toes and fingertips." Another thing I made Ed to say and Rose giggled in delight.

"I never thought you had a romantic side in you."

"Just what could have given you that idea?" Ed asked as he leant slightly forward and switched his hand's position so it was on top of Rose's.

"Ed."

"Hmm?" Ed turned his head towards the voice and saw Winry standing in front of them.

"What is it, Winry?"

"I need to check your automail", she stated and Ed sighed.

"Can I go to the shower first?" Winry thought about it for a second and nodded, probably preferring a shower fresh Ed to a sweaty pig. Even though it was already evening, the temperature was still far over comfortably warm and I could only wonder how these people could live in here.

"But remember to dry the automail after it, I hate working on wet wires."

"Oh. Could I come to see? Automail is truly fascinating, and I'd like to see how it works. But only if it's really okay?" Rose asked innocently and I giggled.

'Aren't she eager.'

Normally Winry would be delighted to tell about her automail, but this time her gaze said it all: 'hell yeah, you just want to see Ed in his boxers.'

"Uh, um… well, I think it's okay with me. Winry?" Ed felt a bit uneasy, because the last time people had wanted to see his automail he had stood in his boxers in the middle of a bustling street.

"If you have to."

"Okay, I'm off to shower now. Thanks for the food Rose, it was delicious!" With that Ed jogged off to the direction Rose had told him to go.

'It wasn't that good.'

'Better than in Briggs.'

Ed reached the bathroom after a little searching and he locked the door and took a clean towel from the shelf. When he started undressing, I was absolutely silent and I kept wondered when he would realize or if he would realize at all. He was already pulling his boxers down, when he stopped.

'What's wrong?'

'You're a girl.'

'Thanks for stating the obvious. So?'

'YOU KNOW WHAT.'

'It's not like you can do anything about it. Don't be stubborn.' Ed growled while blushing scarlet.

'C'mon, Winry and Rose are waiting. I would say that I will not look if I had eyes of my own. Unfortunately I watch everything through your eyes.' He still did nothing.

'Ed…'

'What?'

'Stop acting like a child. I can't believe Rose said that you were mature.'

'I have a right for privacy.'

'I'm sorry, but in a situation like this we can do nothing about it. Do you know what is a good thing?'

'Well?'

'I don't feel anything as you're in control. Just accept it and get going, Winry and Rose a still waiting.'

Ed cursed from the bottom of his heart when he slid out of his boxers and walked to the shower. We were good for a couple of minutes, but then fuzzy images started popping in front of my 'eyes'.

'Getting exited, are we?'

'Shut. Up.'

'I don't get why you're feeling embarrassed.' Ed's feelings were so strong that I was able to feel the butterflies flying inside his stomach.

'I told you to Shut. The. Fuck. Up.' Sorry Ed, but I just couldn't.

'I think I get it now. But really, I'm sure that over 70 of my world's teenager boys do it too.'

'I've got no idea of what you're talking about.' He was growing very angry, I could feel it.

'If you say so…' We both knew that I had won. Ed closed his eyes, and I knew what he was doing. He was pretty good at hiding the images though. To me they were so blurry and flashed so quickly away that it was almost impossible to see what the picture was about.

After he was done and was drying his hair, I dared to speak again.

"I'm sorry Ed. Neither of us hoped for this.'

'I know. I know…' He dried the rest of his hair and automail with alchemy, before dressing up again.

'Now I need to find Winry and Rose, huh?' Finding them was not hard. Ed had to ask only one person before he found to the place Winry had accepted as her temporary work room. Winry and Rose were both sitting on an old sofa when he entered, chit-chatting about something.

"Yo", Ed greeted and looked around. There were scrap metal lying all around and in the middle of a room was a bed with a table next to it.

"Hi, Ed", they said in unison and stared at each other before laughing, though Winry's laugh sounded a bit forced and unnatural. Winry motioned him to get ready while she pulled work gloves to cover her hands.

"I probably need to ask you to transmute some parts for me, because I don't have my own tool kit with me." Ed nodded and pulled his shirt off, revealing his slightly tanned, muscular upper body. Next to go were his boots and pants while Rose literally ate him with her gaze. Ed laid down to the bed feeling a bit nervous and I understood why he had done what he had done and I sympathized with him.

"Ed, what have you done to my automail?" Winry asked as she inspected it.

"Oh. I chanced the elements to titanium and steel so I wouldn't get fried."

"Really? Well that makes things easier. You aren't going to North for a long time, are you?" Winry was surprised, it was written all over her face.

"No. I'll head towards West probably."

"Okay. There are some wires I need to replace, but that's all." Winry said with a smile and Rose stared at the arm in disbelief.

"It looks so complex."

"Don't worry, even I don't fully get how it works", Ed said while grinning and Rose raised her eyebrows at him.

"Really?" her hands travelled to his right shoulder, following the outline of the automail where metal met skin.

"Basically the automail is connected directly to the nerves, and when I continue the lost nerves with wires, which transfer the information to the machine muscles, it gives the user a limb that functions like a normal arm or leg, except the fact that it cannot feel. Ed, I'm connecting the nerves now."

"Is it going to hurt?" Rose asked worriedly.

"It is extremely painful, but far from the actual operation where these are placed", Winry tapped at the port in Ed's shoulder, "but Ed is one of my few clients that doesn't cry out during the connection, so you're lucky to not hearing it." Rose had a concerned expression on her face and her hand travelled to Ed's chest when Winry put everything into place.

'Brace yourself, you might feel it too', Ed warned and I shivered.

"One, two, three!" Ed gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, pushing his head hard against the pillow when the electricity struck his body and burned the nerves. I felt it, but it was far from what Ed was going through, because he made sure that he was in control. When I didn't feel the pain anymore, Ed started panting with loud huffs and groaned in pain. Rose's hand never left Ed's chest, and she looked like she was hurting too from just seeing it.

'She shouldn't have come.'

"Does it hurt when you remove the automail?", Rose asked when Winry moved to Ed's leg.

"No, it just numbs the body for a second." Winry said as she pulled the leg off.

"Oh. So, is this port similar to the one on Ed's shoulder?" Rose asked as she tapped the port with her hand.

"Yes, but it doesn't have so many nerves connected to it, because leg has less muscles and Ed still has his thigh." Winry told without even raising her gaze from the automail.

"Oh, really?" Rose asked innocently and slid her fingers to Ed's tight, gripping it lightly.

'Damn her', I cursed and Ed turned his head away so he wouldn't need to concentrate on her hand. He really wanted to avoid embarrassing moments, but Rose didn't leave him alone. Slowly she slid her fingers along his inner thigh, stroking the skin. She didn't move them by much, but the fact that Ed didn't watch, only felt, made her hand seem to be way too close.

Winry noticed how Ed tensed and looked up to see Rose's hand on her thigh. The first thing Pinako had told about male clients was the fact that if you gripped from the wrong place for too long, things would start going downhill. Or actually up. Ed was just too stubborn to reveal that and for that reason he didn't say anything.

"Rose, could you let go of Ed's thigh?" Winry said in a serious tone and Rose took off her hand like she hadn't even realized what she was doing. Even though Ed tried to silence it, Winry could hear the quiet sigh that escaped his lips when he was able to relax again.

"I'm impressed Ed, there is only a loose screw and an abrasion in the ankle. I have to change a wire, but it would have lasted a while longer just fine."

"Why are so many wires damaged?" Rose wondered and Winry looked up from her work.

"You know that every material widen when heated up and become smaller when cooled off? Ed came from Briggs, and when he jumped into -30°C blizzard from a warm basement, the wires couldn't take it and loosened."

"From Briggs? Is the any place you haven't been to, Ed?" Ed shrugged.

"There is always some other town or village I have yet see, but maybe I have travelled a lot more than other teenagers."

"Okay Ed, I'm done. Connecting the nerves… One, two, three!" The pain struck again, but this time it didn't hurt so badly and it was over sooner. But that didn't make it any comfortable.

"Fuck I hate when the nerves connect", Ed whined and didn't even try to move, because his nerves were still aching too much for that.

"Watch your language, Ed", Winry said, a wrench in hand, and Ed gulped loudly. He tried to sink through the bed to escape the wrath of wrench, but the task turned out to be impossible.

"I think he got the hint, Winry", Rose said vigorously and stepped between them. Winry frowned, but put the wrench to the tool kit and walked out.

"Rose." Ed called when Winry had shut the door behind him with more power than necessary.

"What is it?" Rose asked as she turned around to stare Ed's golden eyes and waited for him to continue. But Ed didn't; he only stared at her, one brow raised. His expression said it all: 'You know damn well what.'

"Oh I'm sorry Ed, I didn't mean to offend you, I just…" Rose bowed her head in guilt, and Ed sighed and stood up to face her.

"You didn't offend me, but in front of Winry..!" Ed growled and his brows knitted together, "I'm leaving." He grunted, pulled his clothes on and strode out of the room.

Next morning

Ed and I are total opposites when it comes to sleeping. This I realized very, very soon. I usually went to bed late and woke up early in the morning, when Ed could sleep around the clock without any problems. And because of this I was the one who was in control in the morning when Ed's soul was still in slumber.

I simply laid on the bed and took in my surrounding. It was still early because house was silent, but I could already hear the men working on the buildings. It was wonderful to feel again; the soft pillow under my head and the sun warming my face…

'I wonder how much time I have.' I rose up and stretched while yawning loudly. The nights were freezing in the middle of desert, but the morning sun was already warming the house and I pulled off Ed's tank top so I wouldn't start sweating. And if I could find a mirror somewhere, I would stare at him.

'He's going to kill me when he wakes up', I chuckled and tossed the top to the bed. You don't even know how much I wanted to take off the boxers as well.

"Ed, are you awake?" I heard Winry ask form the other side of the door and grimaced when she knocked. She had definitely heard me yawn and chuckle.

"No", I grunted and scratched my head. Fuck if she comes in and Ed wakes up, then I'm so screwed.

"I'm surprised, normally you're up after 12. Can I come in?"

"No", I tried to keep my voice as blasé as possible, because Ed would have probably done that too. Or so I supposed.

"Edward Elric! That is not a proper way to address a lady!" I flinched at her words and before I even realized, she had stormed in and slammed the door shut behind her. Good thing that she did, because if you remember, I was wearing only boxers.

'Ed will kill me.'

"Ah." Winry stared at me, and I placed Ed's hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow. She was already dressed up; an orange top with a low neckline, black minishorts and brown slippers. Everything probably belonged to Rose, because Winry didn't bring any summer clothing with her to Briggs.

I had read a long time ago from somewhere that men had more powerful urges than women, but I never expected them to be THIS strong. I can assure you that I am not a lesbian or bi, but the one acting was Ed's body and the damn testosterone!

I gripped Ed's hips harder and tried to keep up the act.

"Well, good morning to you", I rolled my eyes in irritation and turned Ed's back to her so I could ignore her completely. I actually thought of waking Ed up for a second! He'd know what to do. I didn't hear anyone turn the doorknob, which meant that Winry was still inside.

"Is there something you want to say?" I asked as I started searching for a hairbrush from the shelves.

"Well, uh… About you and Rose…" I turned around and narrowed my eyes. This was something I needed to handle, Ed would only ruin everything.

"Only harmless flirting, Winry. Or that was what I tried to keep it, but it seems that I screwed up in something as the check-up proved", I said with a blank face and arched Ed back forward, keeping the eyes narrowed to scare her so she wouldn't start arguing. I didn't stand it when she lashed out on people; she really needed to know her place as an automail engineer and nothing more.

'Always thinking that she is so powerful and can meddle into things… She lacks both brains and strength. She'll become one hell of a housewife. Geez, what does Ed see in her anyway?'

"Why do you ask?" Winry bowed her head and fingered her top nervously.

"Jealous, right?" I grinned slyly and straightened Ed's back while taking a few steps forward. I knew that the testosterone was kicking in and affected my behavior but I did nothing to stop myself, because the power felt so good.

"Huh? No..!" Winry raised her head and stared at me like she had never seen Ed before. When I approached, she walked backwards till her back hit the wall.

"You're… You're not Edward."

-HORISONTAL RULER DOESN'T WORK-

Oo, she's being mean, she's being mean...  
I just want to thank everyone who has posted a review or favorited/alerted my story! THANK YOU!


	4. The Deal

**Chapter 4 "The Deal"**

"You're… You're not Edward", Winry whimpered and I my grin grew even wider. "Oo, clever girl", I took a hold of Winry's chin with Ed's automail, "that's right. But don't worry, next time you see this body, Elric will be the one in control." I turned her head to the left with a swift movement of Ed's hand. "But remember; If you mention about this to anybody, even Elric, I promise that the next time I'm in control I will slaughter you in front of everyone. And guess who will suffer from it?" I whispered to her ear touching it slightly and she shivered visibly, "Your precious Edward Elric." Tears were falling from her eyes now, and I let go of her chin. "Now go, and act like nothing has happened." Winry nodded and fled the scene, shutting the door behind her. I knew that what I had done was wrong, but I _envied_ Winry so much. Just what did Ed see in her anyway?!

Suddenly my vision blurred and I felt like falling down a mountain with high speed, but I saw only motionless grey light.

'So you finally woke up?' Ed's warm voice invaded trough the fog and I tried to clear my thoughts when my vision came back again. Had it been a nightmare?

'Thank god it was only a nightmare…' Even though I would have enjoyed threatening and scaring the hell out of Winry, it was something I would eventually regret, especially when I knew that Ed would never approve it. The guilt seemed to make a knot in my chest and didn't let me breathe freely.

'Don't worry, it will cease after a while.'

'I hope so…'

We both were quiet the whole morning, deep in our thoughts. Ed was eating his breakfast mechanically and stared in front of him like there was something interesting in the table. Maybe he wasn't even seeing it.

'Ed.'

'Hmm.'

'I've been thinking.'

'What a coincidence, so have I', Ed remarked sarcastically and took a sip of his drink.

'You're not paying attention to me.'

'Yes I am.'

'No you're not; otherwise you would realize that you're drinking milk.'

'What…' Ed took the cup in his hand to look at it and started sweating. "… THE FUCK?!" Someone snickered behind him and Ed turned around to kill the stupid prankster with his glare of doom.

"Damn you, Al", Ed growled and threw the white liquid at the suit of armor.

"Aw brother, that was nasty", Al whined when Rose brought a towel to wipe it off.

"NOT AS NASTY AS THE TASTE!"

'Now calm down and listen to me.'

Ed rolled his eyes and stuffed the last piece of bread in his mouth, chewing it loudly.

'That's gross. But anyways. Do you still want to learn about rendanshu?'

'Of course I do! Oh yeah, that bean girl should be in here as well, right?'

"Hey Al, is that little girl and her weird cat somewhere in here?" Ed stood up to look at his little brother.

"Oh, no. She left to her country with Envy."

"With Envy?" Ed's eyes narrowed to tiny slits. "You're joking, right?"

"No! Marcoh destroyed Envy's stone and Scar gave Envy to her because Mei was looking for immortality in the first place and she shouldn't get tangled up with Amestris' affairs as well."

'SHIT.'

'What?'

'I forgot to tell you. She is heading back to Central with Envy, because Envy said something to her about the fact that she shouldn't betray you lot and if she took take him to Xing now, she would just get scolded for bringing a half dead homunculus.'

"Al, when did she leave?" Ed eyed his brother dangerously, shocked to know that May was in serious danger right know.

"Maybe 5 days ago, why?" Al didn't like how his brother reacted to the news. Had there still been something Ed wanted to discuss with Mei?

"YOU'RE ALL BUNCH OF IDIOTS! Mei is only a young ignorant girl and Envy someone who has manipulated people for decades! I wouldn't be surprised if she's heading back to Central now and when Envy gets a new stone, it's the end for her!" Ed slammed his left palm to the table and clenched it to a fist so his nails dug into his flesh, nearly drawing blood.

"No way!" Al and Winry cried out in unison and bowed their heads in guilt; they all knew that they couldn't catch her anymore.

'Is there anyone you could contact in Central? Someone who the homunculi don't know about? Sheska?'

'I don't know her number nor do I want to cause her problems.'

'Well… There is a way to get to Central before her. But is really risky, dangerous and you might lose your freedom.'

'Tell me.'

'Promise not to interrupt.'

'Okay okay, spit it out already!'

'The tunnel goes under Lior as well Briggs and the strongest homunculus "Pride" guards it. Pride can only move inside the tunnel and Central or he will die, which means that he can move quickly between Lior and Central if he senses that someone has entered the tunnel. He is actually Selim Bradley, so he will recognize you. AND because he is Selim Bradley, you can say that you want to talk to the Führer alias Wrath and he will take you there. And then you make this deal: You promise to stay in Central so you would be in their reach at all times and in exchange for that you can do whatever you please in Central.' I took a little break to gather my thoughts.

'Father is going to open the Gate, and couldn't you and Al get your original bodies back if you jump in? You will both gain from it; they need only to call you when they want to open the Gate and when you reunite with Al, you can get your bodies back.'

'But I don't think it'll be good to take Al with you; if you later realize that "jumping into the Gate" won't work, Al would still be out of their reach and they can't open the Gate without him.'

'Al will not let me go alone if I tell him.'

"Brother?"

Al and Winry eyed Ed with worried expressions, because Ed had grown awfully silent and stared at the ground, his fists shaking, for many minutes.

"There is nothing we can do, she is practically dead already", Ed said behind his bangs that hung in front of his face and turned away without looking at Winry or Al. He stormed back to his room and started gathering his things.

'You can always leave a message. Oh, and Rose knows what route your father used to get to the tunnel.'

'He has been there too?'

'Yes, and he knows about Pride. That is why you can't tell anybody that you're going there, except Rose. Luckily it will already be too late when she tells everybody.'

Ed searched the room for a piece of paper and wrote hastily a message:

_I'm going to Central to save May and finish off Envy. Don't worry about me, THEY will not kill me. Do not try to follow or contact me, because I can't guarantee your safety. Al; do not come near Central before you get a message from me and keep your eyes open. THEY might be trying to kidnap you, because the Day is drawing nearer. _

_Stay safe,_

_Ed_

He hid his bag under the bed and stuffed the letter into his pants' pocket. He made sure that his room didn't seem too clean; otherwise it would scream out the fact that he was leaving. His bed was still unmade and his jacket hung on the rack.

'I'll leave at the evening.'

'Why not help rebuilding the buildings while we are still in here? Hohenheim and Al are helping them.'

'Why not, indeed.'

We both knew how slowly the time would go by if we just waited for the evening to come, and if we could keep ourselves occupied while helping others, we would be more than happy to do so.

"So, what is this going to be?" Ed asked from a passing man who was carrying a heavy-looking steel bar and eyed the building under reconstruction. Even though the sun was burning, everyone was doing their best with smiling faces.

"Oh? A four-story residence. Some of us are still living in those wrecked buildings and we really want to make them a home with four walls instead of three." The man grinned and adjusted the bar better to his shoulder.

"Why won't you use alchemy?"

"That would be great, wouldn't it?" The man laughed. "But none of us is an alchemist and we want to rebuild this town ourselves. Alchemists are also expensive." He shrugged and was already turning his back to Ed when he noticed his wide grin.

"I agree to the fact that everybody needs a good home, so if you show me the blueprints and tell everyone to back off from the building, I think I could lend you a hand."

At first the man stared at Ed in disbelief, but then a grin spread to his face.

"Follow me." Ed did as he was told, but he forgot about the bar the man was carrying and got a direct hit to his head.

When Ed had got a bag of quickly melting ice (he had to transmute the water to ice by himself) to his head, he examined the blueprints thoroughly. It wasn't complex, as regular block of flats as it could be and it took only 20 minutes from Ed to remember it.

"Okay, call your men out."

"EVERYBODY OUT OF THE BUILDING!" The command ran through every builder's mouth and soon everybody had jogged out of it and questioned what was going on, because they wanted to continue their work.

"Shhh!"

Ed rolled his eyes and shut them to concentrate. The tension was touchable and some fidgeted with something as they watched the Fullmetal alchemist concentrate. The word had spread and soon every citizen of Lior was watching if the great Fullmetal alchemist would succeed to reconstruct a whole building with alchemy. A metallic clap echoed in the air and Ed hit his hands to the ground. The sudden surge of energy waved the ground and blue electric light cracked loudly as Ed slowly stood up and spread his arms. People gasped in wonder when the building seemed to start constructing itself, gathering all the surrounding material for walls, floor and roof. Slowly the blue light started shining purple and flashed a great red as Ed started using the stone's power to keep the transmutation going. He had never transmuted a same object for this long and it was slowly wearing him out.

'So, do you have an eye for decoration?'

'Better than you have. How long will you last?'

'Ten minutes.'

'Okay. First some balconies.' I imagined the terraces in my head and let Ed see it too.

'Chance the entrance like this.' I imagined two Greek columns on both sides of huge doors and a few steps to raise the pillars and doors above ground. The entrance hall widened and next to it appeared a free space for idling.

"Would you like a dining hall?!" Ed shouted through the cracking of electricity and Joey nodded.

'I'm on it.' I told Ed to transmute it to a place where the main street could be seen and with huge classy windows.

'That's it.'

Ed let the energy die and sighed in relief as his legs gave out and he sat down to catch his breath. At first people could only gape like fishes out of water, but when some of then started clapping their hands, everyone joined the applauding and cheered loudly.

"The Fullmetal alchemist did it again!"

"Whoa, just look at it!"

"He is the best!"

"Ed." A soft voice called behind and Ed turned his head to see who it was. Rose was smiling at him and offered a bottle of water. "It's wonderful." Ed took the bottle gratefully and drained it empty at once.

"As expected from you", Joey said and offered a hand to help Ed up.

"I'm glad to help. When Lior is again a bustling city, you can use it as a hotel."

"You're right. But then you forgot something. You created it; it should as well be named after you." Joey laughed and patted Ed's back friendly.

"Uh… Fullmetal Hotel sounds kind of lame, though…"

'How about Alchanum?'

'… Sounds cool. Where did you get that from?'

'An AMV I watched a long time ago.'

'AMV?'

"What about Alchanum?"

"A fine name, indeed! Alchanum it is! Do you think you can…?"

"Of course!" Ed clapped his hands and the static flashed again. Soon on top of the roof read a stylish sign:"Alchanum" and also above the front doors.

"It's ready. It still needs some fine-tuning from the inside and of course furniture, but…"

People just laughed, shook hands with him and praised his work. Slowly they started to scatter, most of the men went to discuss about the next projects and women to continue their household chores. The only ones who stayed longer were the kids, Al, Winry, Hohenheim and Rose. I could see what Rose and Winry were thinking, especially Winry.

'I never thought that he was that powerful, even though he is a state alchemist', was written all over their faces.

'Maybe you should rest for a while, it's going to be a long night for us.'

'You're right.' Ed had already started walking, when something grabbed a hold of his hand and hung there.

"Mr. alchemist!" A young girl's voice called out and Ed looked down in astonishment. Around 5-years old blond girl was tugging him down and blushed scarlet when their eyes locked to each other's.

'Aaw, I love little kids.'

'Want to handle this one?'

'Really? Could I?'

Slowly I started feeling the burning sun, the dry air in Ed's lungs and tiny hands clutching his hand. I smiled warmly to the kid and knelt down in front of her.

"What is your name?"

"Lucy", she said shyly and fingered her curly hair.

"Is there something you would like to say, Lucy?"

"My big sis says that you're sexy. What does it mean?" She looked at me with those blue, innocent eyes and waited eagerly for the answer.

"HEY! HANDS OFF OF MY LITTLE SISTER!" I saw something moving towards me out of the corner of my eye and out of pure reflex grabbed it before it collided with Ed's head. It was a broom, and the one holding it was a young blond woman with a very annoyed expression, but it died down when she recognized Ed's face. I stood up slowly so Ed's exhausted body wouldn't pass out and kept holding the broom even though she was tucking it.

"Lucy, is this your big sister you were talking about?"

"Mm-hmm." Lucy nodded with enthusiasm and giggled. "She looked so funny when she stopped sweeping to look at you and said that you were _so_ sexy."

"Lucy!" The older blond screamed in embarrassment and tried to free the broom from the automail's grasp with more effort than before.

'If you try something stupid..!' Ed growled and I laughed.

'No, I promised, remember?'

"Whoa, easy there. You'll just get splinters in your hands." I released the broom and she grabbed Lucy's hand to guide her back where ever she had came from.

'And now some sleep…'

In the evening

I woke up when the lot started drinking and celebrating the newly built Alchanum.

'Ed, wake up!'

'Mmh..?'

'It's evening!'

He took automatically control and stretched his muscles before grabbing his jacket and pulling it on to protect him from the freezing night. He left the letter on his still unmade bed and hid his small back under his coat so he wouldn't give away his intentions.

'Let's go.'

Rose wasn't hard to spot, because she was the one serving the people drinks and food. People were so concentrated on listening to other's stories that they didn't pay attention to Ed, who walked casually past them, tapped Rose to the shoulder and motioned her to follow. When they were past the corner, Ed turned over.

"Could you show me the place where the old man went when he visited the church? I want to check it out as well."

"Oh? But your father said…"

"I can take care of myself. Please, Rose."

"Okay, follow me."

Ed lit a lamp when the moonlight didn't reach us anymore and it was becoming gradually darker the deeper to the church they went even though he had the lamp. It was as if something was eating the light away.

"It's here. The water is poisoned, and your dad used alchemy to get over it. Do you want me to wait?" Ed eyed the water suspiciously and smiled at Rose.

"Thank you, Rose. Take this so you can get back, don't wait for me", Ed handed Rose a torch and turned to face the water again.

"Oh, okay. Be careful."

"I will."

Ed had already made a path with alchemy and was walking along it when Rose turned around and headed back to the entrance as fast as possible.

'I wonder if she's afraid of dark', I thought and Ed shrugged.

'I thought every woman is?' I hissed as a warning and Ed shut his mouth.

It took a while before we saw ground again and Ed sighed in relief as he decomposed the path he had used.

'So, where… Ah.' Hohenheim had left traces of transmutation when he had closed the hole he had created and Ed reopened with ease.

'I have a request, Ed.'

'What?'

'Could I have the control? I want to make sure myself that my plan works.'

'Are you sure?'

'Please.'

'Don't make me regret this.'

I took the few necessary steps to enter the tunnel and tried to calm myself. It would do no good if I stuttered in front of Pride. I didn't need to wait for long when the "zuruzuru" voice was heard and Pride appeared in front of me.

"Good evening, Pride." I said with a steady voice, and stared straight to the homunculus' eyes. I hoped I looked convincing enough, because I felt like a pile of pudding in front of him.

"Fullmetal alchemist? Why are you here?"

"I want to discuss matters with the Führer, and this is the only way to get to him without being noticed."

"Oh? And what might you mean by 'discussing matters?'"

"You will know if you take me to him."

"Very well." The darkness drew nearer with monstrous speed and I felt something grab a hold of me when it became pitch black. The darkness didn't last for long, though. Pride let go of me and turned himself into Selim Bradley before leading me up long staircases.

"Father, I brought a visitor", Pride said in a cheery tone and Wrath told him to come in.

'Ed, do I need to salute or something?'

'No.'

It was comfortably warm in the Führer's office and normally I would have concentrated on taking in my surroundings, but I was in the same room with two deadly sins and I had to gather all of my willpower to keep myself from running away.

"Oh, isn't it the Fullmetal alchemist. Why might you be here?"

"He told me that he wanted to 'discuss matters' with you." Pride said, dropping the good child-act and eying me now and then. I nodded in agreement and Wrath made an 'oh' sound as he stood up from his seat.

"Please tell."

"I'm here to bargain." The Führer tilted his head to the side waiting for me to continue.

"I will promise to stay inside Central so you can always contact me and you will let me do whatever I please until the Day comes." Wrath and Pride stared at me and I thought they would just snicker and throw me in some jail of sort to wait for the Day, but then Wrath burst out laughing.

"Very well, Fullmetal alchemist. But let me add one thing: If you break this deal, you know what will happen to your dear friend Winry Rockbell and Resembool." I shrugged and made a pfft-sound, which made Wrath and Pride stare at me in disbelief.

"Well, it would be a bit of shame if something happens to her, she is such a good mechanic… It would be hard to find someone else who can match her skills. … Am I free to go?"

"Ah, yes. I will ask someone to take you to the military lodgings… But I doubt you will stay there for long, right?"

"That's right. I thought about finally spending my salary. I bet I've got some cash after four years of being a state alchemist." I grinned mischievously and walked to the door.

"Would you like a promotion?" I turned around and stared at the Führer in disbelief before regaining my grin. "I think I'm starting to like you." I saluted and took off down the stairs towards the front door. And as expected, there was a car waiting for me.

'So, what does that promotion make you now? A lieutenant colonel?'

'That's right. I'm surprised that you didn't screw up.'

'I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I saw Pride.' I admitted and Ed laughed.

'We need to go looking for Mei tomorrow.'

'Yeah.'

Yay, I finally posted this chappie here! It's been ready for ages, but I've been lazy... Sorry! Hope you enjoyed! Review?


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